1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a framed display arrangement for carrying and displaying thin, flat objects such as photographs and collector cards (e.g. baseball cards, hockey cards, etc.) or the like. More specifically, the invention relates to such an arrangement which receives the flat objects mounted in protective encasements.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is known in the art to provide frame displays as taught in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,468, Cliborn, Aug. 29, 1989. The arrangement in the Cliborn patent consists of three panels; a front panel 12, an intermediate panel 18 and a rear panel 24. The panels have cut-outs for carrying and displaying flat objects. The cut-outs in the front panel are smaller than the objects; the cut-outs in the intermediate panel are substantially the same size as the objects, and the cut-outs in the rear panel are of greater width but lesser length than the objects. The cut-outs in the three panels are aligned. Thus, each object is mounted in the cut-out in the intermediate panel and is prevented from falling out but still exposed to display by the cut-out in the front panel. The rear panel also prevents the objects from falling out.
In accordance with the teachings of the Cliborn patent, it is contemplated that objects, such as photographs, collector cards etc., will be inserted into the arrangement and taken out of the arrangement through the cut-outs in the rear panel. However, it is believed that inserting and removing objects in this manner would cause damage to the objects by bending or otherwise mutilating them. Furthermore, the arrangement of Cliborn does not provide any protection whatsoever for the objects as the cut-outs in both the front and rear panels are uncovered.
A further display arrangement is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,728, Price, Dec. 24, 1985. This arrangement consists of a single panel 10 on which objects such as photographs etc. are mounted either by brackets 12 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B) or clips shown in FIGS. 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12 of the patent. Once again, the objects are unprotected.